The Thirty-Ninth Kenneth J. Hodson Lecture in Criminal Law [Military Justice in Great Britain]

• Author: Michael D. Conway
• Position: Graduated in law from King's College, London, in 1981 and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1982
• Pages: 212-226

212 MILITARY LAW REVIEW [Vol. 21

3

THIRTY-NINTH KENNETH J. HODSON LECTURE IN

CRIMINAL LAW1

MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL D.CONWAY*

* Major General Mike Conway was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He graduated in law

from King’s College, London, in 1981 and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in

1982. After training as a pupil barrister and working in London, he was commissioned

into the Army Legal Corps as a captain in 1985. He served in Germany, England and, as

an exchange officer, at HQ Land Command, Sydney, Australia. After promotion to

Lieutenant Colonel in 1994, he served as Commander Legal HQ 3rd UK Division; as

Commander Legal HQ Northern Ireland; as a prosecution team leader at the Army

Prosecuting Authority (UK); in the Ministry of Defence as Staff Officer Grade 1 (SO1)

International Law and as SO1 Legislation; and in the Operational Law Branch as Chief

Operational Law and later as Colonel Operational Law. When serving as SO1

International Law he was a member of the UK delegation to the 2001 Geneva Review

Conference of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. From 2003 he

served as Colonel Legal ALS2 (the International Law Directorate of the Army Legal

Services), responsible for service legal advice in MOD on international and operational

law and legislation affecting the armed forces, including the Armed Forces Bill 2006. In

December 2003 he was a member of the UK delegation to the 28th International

Committee of the Red Cross Conference in Geneva. He served as Colonel Prosecutions

(UK) before promotion and appointment as Brigadier Advisory (then Director Legal

Advisory) at the Directorate of Army Legal Services in 2006. He attended the Royal

College of Defence Studies in 2010 and was promoted in October 2010 to Major General

as the Director General Army Legal Services.

Major General Conway served in Bosnia for 6 months during the first UK NATO

deployment on Operation RESOLUTE. He was attached to Headquarters 3 Commando

Brigade, Royal Marines, during their winter deployment to Norway in 1987, and served

in Headquarters Strike Command at the end of the 1991 Gulf Conflict during Operation

HAVEN. He was a student in the 124th Basic Course at the U.S. Army’s Judge

Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville. He was admitted to the Bar of New South

Wales during his posting to Australia, and as an honorary member of the United States

Army Court of Military Review when at Charlottesville.

1 This is an edited transcript of a lecture delivered on 16 May 2011 by Major General

Michael D. Conway, Director General Army Legal Services, British Army, to members

of the staff and faculty, distinguished guests, and officers attending the 59th Graduate

Course at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, Charlottesville,

Virginia. Established at The Judge Advocate General’s School on 24 June 1971, the

Kenneth J. Hodson Chair of Criminal Law was named after Major General Hodson who

served as The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army, from 1967 to 1971. General Hodson

retired in 1971, but immediately was recalled to active duty to serve as the Chief Judge of

the Army Court of Military Review. He served in that position until March 1974.

General Hodson served over thirty years on active duty, and he was a member of the

original staff and faculty of The Judge Advocate General’s School in Charlottesville,

Virginia. When the Judge Advocate General’s Corps was activated as a regiment in

1986, General Hodson was selected as the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment.